silverman



Patented 1an. 3|,V|s99.

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N0. 618,743. Pmnmd 1an. 3|, |399.

slLvEnMAN. GAS DPEBATED MACHINE GUN.

(Application Bled Sept. 22, 1898.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

[mais SY/berm@ zw/zaff,

(No Model.)

No. 6|8,743. Patenedlan. 3|, |899.

L. SILVERMAN.

GAS OPERATED MACHINE GUN.

(Application filed Sept. 22, 1898.)

(No Model.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

llllllllll No. s|,74s. Patented 1an. 3|, |899. L. slLvERMAN. GASoPEnATl-:n MACHINE Gun.

(Application led Sept. 22, 1898.)

s sham-s118914.

(No Modal.)

[am @dwf/7mm [awe/M07* 1n: nofws Pcrsns co. PnoTo-u'mo., WASHINGTON, D.c.

No. 6|8,743. Patented lan. 3|, |899. L. SILVERMAN.

GAsoPl-:RATED mAcHim-:Gun

(Application led Sept. 22, 189B.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets--Sheet 5.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT Trier.

LOUI's sILvEnMAN, or ORAYEORD, ENGLAND, A 'ssIeNoR rro TI-IE vIoKERs,soNs a MAXIM, LIMITED, OE LONDON, ENGLAND.

GAS-OPERATED MACHINE-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,743, dated January31, 1899.

Application led September 22, 1898. Serial No. 691,579. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS SILVERWAN, engineer, a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain, residing at Crayford Vorks, Crayford,

county of Kent, England, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic and Similar Guns, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates chieiiy to improve- Io ments in Maxim orautomatic guns of that class in which the breech mechanism is operatedbythe pressure of the gas escaping from the muzzle when, the gun isdischarged.

The said improvements comprise various I5 novel features of constructionand combinations of the parts of the gun, as hereinafter set forth, andwhile the improvements in the breech mechanism are especially applicableto automatic guns they are capable of use zo with guns of other types.

The gun has a stationary barrel, which is secured to the frame in theusual or any convenient manner. It is in some instances provided with awater-jacket; but, if desired, I

2 5 may dispense with the water-jacket and form the barrel square 0I'approximately square in cross-section, with numerous transverse passagesextending through the metal walls thereof to form passages or channelsfor the surrounding air to pass through and cool the barrel.

The breech-block of the gun is made in two parts-viz., a forward and arear portion. The forward portion or breech-block proper carries avertically-sliding cartridge-carrier similar to that ordinarilyemployedin a Maxim gun, and the rear portion is jointed or pivoted to theforward portion, so that it is capable of a slight amount of verticalInovement independently of the aforesaid forward portion. lVhen thebreech is closed, this vertical movement of the rear portion enables itto come in front of fixed projections orabutments, and thereby act as astrut to securely retain the breech closed at the moment of firing. Themovement of the said rear portion or strut is effected by asuitably-shapcd rib or projection on a sliding piece termed -theaction-bar, acting in conjunction with 5o inclined surfaces orprojections on the strut,

as hereinafter explained.

gun as the breech-block reciproeates.

The action-bar is operated by a piston connected therewith by a rodand'working in a cylinder communicating with the muzzle of thegun-barrel, so that the escaping gases from the barrel after theprojectile leaves the gun can enter said cylinder and actuate thepiston. A spiral spring surrounding the said piston-rod acts to returnthe parts to their firing position after each rearward movement 6o ofthe piston.

The firing-pin is arranged Within the breechblock and is formed in twoparts, comprising a body portion and a forward'part or head, which aredetachably connected together, so that in the event of the said headbecoming broken it can be readily detached and replaced by a fresh one.This construction also enablesv the head to properly adj ust itselfduring its advance to fire a cartridge without 7o subjecting thefiring-pin to undue stress in the event of the hole in thecartridgeearrier, through which the head projects to reach thecartridge, not being truly in alinement with the firing-pin.

For operating the cartridge-carrier I employ a pivoted lifting-levercarried by the forward portion of the breech-block and engaging at itsfront end with a slot in the said carrier. The said lever has a lateralpin which is acted 8o upon by the usual cam in the frame of the The saidlever also has a heel against which a shoulder on the action-bar comesduring the closing of the breech, and thereby raises said carrier intoits highest position just before the completion of the final closingmovement of the breech-block underthe action of its strut.

For feeding the cartridge-belt through the 9o gun I employ above thefeed-box a lever having a vertical pivot, about which it can oscillatein a horizontal plane.` Above the said lever is arranged alongitudinally-sliding bar, which receives its motion from thereciprocating breech-block. This bar has an inclined or cam groovetherein with which a stud on the free end of the aforesaid leverengages, so that as the bar slides to and fro oscillatory movement isimparted to the lever.

the difficulty that has heretofore been eX- perienced by reason of theslipping of the TO avoid Ico feed-pawls from their engagement with thecartridge-belt, I provide the said feed-lever with a spring-pawl whichis capable of participating in a limited horizontal movementindependently of the feed-lever, whereby it is permitted to risevertically during each outward stroke of said feed-lever, but isrestrained from so doing during each inward stroke of said lever. I alsoprovide the gun with an external crank-handle for starting the firing ofthe gun or for working the gun manually, the said handle being soconnected with the breech mechanism that it remains stationary duringthe firing. Means are also provided whereby the pulling of the triggercannot `be effected when the hinged rear end piece of the gun-casing isopened to inspect or observe the breech-block. v

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into practice, I will proceed to describe the same more fullywith reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is aside elevation, Fig. 2 a central longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 aplan, of Van automatic gun constructed in accordance with my invention.Fig. 4 is a plan of the rear part of the gun with the upper coverremoved. Fig. 5 is a rear end view of the guncasing with the hinged rearend piece removed. Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 1 1 of Fig.2, looking toward the front. Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 2,' looking toward the rear. Fig. S is a horizontal section,taken approximately on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, with only so much of theinternal parts shown as is necessary to clearly illustrate the manner inwhich the external handle is coupled to the action-bar, so that saidhandle remains stationary during firing. Fig. 9 is a plan ofthefaction-bar detached. Fig. 10 is a plan of the trigger-bar detached.Figs. 1l and 12 are detail sectional views showing the means'whereby thetrigger-bar is prevented from being operated when the hinged rear endpiece is turned down into its open position. Fig. 13 is a sideelevation, Fig. 14 a longitudinal section, Fig. 15 a plan, Fig. 16 anunder side view, Fig. 1'7 a rear end view, and Fig. 18a front end view,of the breech-block detached and drawn to alarger scale. Fig. 19 is aside elevation, and Fig. 20 a plan, of the firing-pin detached.` Fig. 21is a plan of the head of the firing-pin detached. Figs. 22, 23, and .24Eare respectively a plan, an edge view, and an under side view of thecartridge-feed lever and its springpawl. Figs. 25, 2G, and 27 aretransverse sections taken substantially on the line 5 5 of Fig. 23,looking toward the right and showin g the feed-lever and itsspring-pawl, respectively, in the position they occupy when thefeed-lever is commencing its outward stroke to bring the pawl intoengagement with a cartridge in the feed-belt, when said pawl is passingover said cartridge, and when said pawl has passed over said cartridgeand the lever is commencing to perform its inward stroke. Figs. 2S and29 are respectively a central longitudinal section and an under sideview of the sliding plate by which the cartridge-feed lever isoscillated. Figs. 30, 31, and 32 are longitudinal sections, of a more orless diagrammatic nature, showing the breech-block and the action bar,respectively, in the position they occupy when the breechblock is fullyclosed and locked, when it is disengaged, and when it is fullyretracted. Fig. 33 is a transverse section, and Fig. 34 is a horizontalsection,of a gun-barrel formed with transverse channels in its walls forthe passage of air to keep the barrel cool without a water-jacket. Figs.35 and 3G are similar views of a slightly-modified arrangement of thesaid air-channels.

Like reference-letters indicate similar parts in all the figures.

A A are the side plates of the frame or casing inclosing the breechmechanism.

Al is the hinged top cover, and A2 the hinged rear end piece.

B is the barrel.

C is the breech-block.

D is the action-bar, and E is the waterjacket.

c c', Figs. 13 to 1S, are the two portions of the breech-block, hingedtogether by a pivotpin c2. The forward portion or breech-block proper,c, is provided with the vertically-sliding cartridge-carrier c3, whichperforms the various functions necessary for transferring the cartridgefrom the feed-belt to the barrel and for extracting and ejecting thespent cartridge from the barrel, like the ordinary sliding carrier of aMaxim gun. The said forward portion c is formed with side ribs c4, whichengage with horizontal grooves d in the side plates A and guide thebreech-block in its reciprocating movements, as is well understood. Thesaid forward portion is also provided with depending lugs c5 c5, throughwhich passes a pin c, carrying the safetysear c7, the firing-Sear cs,and the liftinglever ci. The last-mentioned lever is situated betweenthe other two levers and is provided with a rounded nose cw, thatengages with a vertical slot c11 in the carrier. It is also formed witha heel cl2, which is acted upon by the action-bar D, as hereinafterexplained. The portions c c of the breech-block are made hollow for thereception of the firing-pin and its spring cl3. The iiring pin comprisesa body portion 014 and a head C15, (see Figs. 1f), 20, and 2l,) having acylindrical T-piece c1, which is adapted to engage with a correspondingrecess in the body c, and thereby connect these parts together. Theengagement is eifected by sliding the T-piece c16 lengthwise into theaforesaid recess in the body 014. At the front lower part or margin ofthe said recess is a shoulder 017, which supports the head C15 in anapproximately horizontal position opposite the conical hole 018 in thecarrier when the latter is fully raised, Fig. 14.

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ISO

The upper part or margin 019 of the said recess is unprovided with ashoulder, and therefore renders the head of the firing-pin free to turnslightly upward about its T-piece, so that in the event of the said headentering the conical hole c1S out of true alinement with the detonatorof the cartridge it will readily adjust itself to the proper position bythe guiding action of the conical wall of said hole. This manner ofconnecting the parts of the firing-pin also enables the head C15 to bereadily disconnected if it become broken and replaced by a fresh one.The body portion c14 of the firing-pin is formed with a longitudinalslot C20, through which the pin c2, connecting the portions c c'together, passes and retains the ii rin g-pin in place withoutrestraining its cooking and firing movements. The lower part of the bodyportion'cl'l is provided with a shoulder C21, which projects through aslotted opening in the under side of the breech-block. Vith thisshoulder the noses of the safety-scar c7 and the ring-sear es engageunder the action of their springs when the firing-pin is fully cocked.The opposite ends or tails of the aforesaid sears c7 cs, respectively,are acted upon by the action-bar and trigger-bar, as hereinafterexplained. rlhe rear portion or strut c has lateral projections or lugsC22, which are adapted to engage with abutments a. on the side plates Awhen the said strut is elevated into the raised position represented inFigs. 2 and 30. A Very rigid support to the forward portion c of thebreech-block is thereby obtained at the moment of firing, whicheffectually resists the rearward stress tending to force it backward.Extending between and preferably forming part of the abutments d is abridge-piece c2, which serves as a stop to limit the extent of upwardmovement which the strut c can perform, the said strut being providedwith a projection C23 to come against said stop. The working faces ofthe abutments af andthe lateral projections or lugs c22 are inclined orbeveled to permit of their sliding on each other when the said strut cturns about its pivot c2 in bringing them into and out of engagement. lfpreferred, these working faces may be curved, the face of theprojections orlugs then being an arc of a circle struck from the centralpoint of the pivot-pin c2 and that of the abutments being an are of acircle struck from a point somewhat below said pivot-pin. Then the strutc/ assumes its lowered position, Fig. 3l, the aforesaid lateralprojections or lugs C22 come into a position to slide beneath ribs a5 onthe interior of the hollow hinged end piece A2, and in the rearwardmovement of the breech-block these ribs act as guides for the said strutand prevent it from rising during the return or forward movement of thebreech-block, as hereinafter explained. rlhe under side of the saidstrut is provided with two projections c24 c25, which are a-cted upon byarib orprojection d on the action-bar D as the latter performs itsreciprocating movements.

The projection 024 has an inclined surface C26, against which a nose d'on the said rib d strikes (see Figs. 30 to 32) as the action-bar slidesbackward, and thereby acts, first, to depress the strut c and disengageit from the abutments a', Fig. 3l, and then to withdraw the breech-blockfrom the barrel to open the breech, Fig. 32. The upper portion of thesaid rib d is of such shape that when the strut c is depressed it willlie in the space or recess existing between the two projections C24 c25,Fig. 3l. On the return movement of the action-bar the edge (Pof the ribwill bear against the rear inclined portion 027 of the projection c25,and as the strut c cannot at such time rise by reason of the ribs a3 thebreech-block is pulled forward with the action-bar until the lugs on thestrut escape from the said ribs CL3 and from the under side of theabutments c. The pressure of the edge d2 of the rib on the said rearinclined portion 027 of the projection c25 as the action-bar terminatesits forward movement then raises the strut and brings the working facesof the lugs again into engagement with the working faces of theabutments a. It is not, however, until the upper surface d3 of the saidrib CZ slides on the under side of the projection c25 as the action-barDcompletes its forward movement that the -final upward movement of thestrut and the complete closing vof the breech takes place, the saidsurface d3 being for this purpose inclined slightly to the horizontal.The object of this movement is to permit the cartridge-carrier c3 toreach its highest position just before the aforesaid final closingmovement of the breech-block is completed, so that the said carrier willnot be jammed too tightly against the breech end of thebarrel and bethereby prevented from reaching its fully-raised position. The saidsurface di by firmly pressing against the under side of the projectionc25 also rigidly maintains the strut in its raised position, so thatthere is no possibility of the same having its security diminished byvibration of the gun in action. The aforesaid rib d is provided with anib d4, which lies in front of a shoulder (32S on the under side of thebody of the firing-pin and during the first portion of the rearwardmovement of the action-bar-that is to say, before the nose d reaches theincline c2 of the projection C24-such nib pushes back the firing-pinagainst the resistance of its spring until the sears c7 cs engage withthe shoulder c21 and keep the firing-pin cocked. The

vertical movements of the cartridge-carrier,

are controlled by a pin C29 on the lifting-lever c, acting inconjunction with the ordinary cam a4, with which one of theside plates Ais provided, as is well understood. The

elevation of the said carrier is effected, however, by a shoulder di onthe action-bar, Fig. 9,-striking the heel C12 as the said bar performsits forward movement and just before the strut terminates its upwardmovement under the action of the inclined surface d3 IOO IOS

against the projection c25, as already explained. The action-bar is alsoformed with another shoulder d, which acts upon the tail of thesafety-scar c1' and disengages its nose from the firing-pin when saidaction-bar completes its forward movement. The said action-bar has anelongated aperture or slot Z7 therein, through which the emptycartridgecases fall from the gun as they are extracted and ejected. Inorder to avoid any liability of the said empty cases getting in front ofthe action-bar and impeding the proper working of the gun, said bar isformed at its forward end with a block d8, having a downwardinclinedsurface clfacing the said slot d1. The said block is of such dimensionsin crosssection as to practically fit the space within which it worksimmediately below the barrel, so that as the action-bar moves rearwardlythe said inclined surface dg of the block d8 would strike the emptycartridge-case and throw it downwardly from the gun in the event of itsnot having already escaped through the slot all a5 a5 are slots in theside plates A, within which the said action-bar slides and by which itis guided during its reciprocating movements.

The tail .of the firing-scar a8 is prolonged through the slot Z7 in theaction-bar, so as to lie in proximity to a protuberance f on thetrigger-bar F when the breech is closed. This trigger-bar is adapted toslide in slots a6 a6, formed in the side plates A, when the trigger f ispulled, a spring f2 returning said plate to its original position whenthe trigger is released. Vhen the trigger is pulled, the aforesaidprotuberance f comes beneath the tail of the firing-scar, and by raisingit thereby trips this scar and so releases the firing-pin and fires thegun. It will be obvious that so long as `the trigger is held in itspulled position the gun will continue to fire automatically. For thepurpose of preventing the trigger from being pulled when the hinged endpiece A2 is turned down to uncover the rear end of the casing the saidtrigger-bar is formed with a cavity or recess f3, with which acorrespondingly shaped portion or campiece a7 on the hinged end pieceA2, near its pivot A3,engages when said end piece is turned down, asrepresented in Fig. 12. The trigger-plate then remains locked, and thegun cannot be fired until said cam-piece a7 is removed from the cavityor recess f3 in the act of closing the end piece A2, as shown in Fig.ll.

In order to impart to the action-bar D the requisite movements foractuating the breech mechanism, it is connected by a rod D' to a pistonD2, which is arranged within the gascylinder D3. (See Figs. 2 and 7.)This cylinder is located below the barrel and communicates near itsfront end by an opening the projectile, such plug serving to contractthe outlet for the gases of discharge entering the said chamber, so thatthey will be caused to enter the cylinder D3 and effectually act uponthe piston D2. By so doing they force the piston rearwardly against theresistance of the spring D7, that surrounds the rod D', and thereby alsocause the action-bar to slide rearwardly and act upon the breech-block,as hereinbefore explained, the reaction of the spring D7returning thepiston and the actionbar to their original position after each rearwardmovement. The aforesaid spring Dlis completely inelosed by a casing DS,extending from the cylinder D3 to a fixed sleeve D1, with which thegun-frame is furnished and through which the said rod Dl slides duringits reciprocations. The said casing is provided with lateral openingsD10 D11. The opening D10 permits the gas within the cylinder to escapewhen the piston is forced back far enough to uncover it, and the openingD11 enables atmospheric air to enter the cylinder as the piston returnsto its original position and avoids the retardation of the pistonsforward movement, which would otherwise take place by the formation of apartial vacuum behind it.

Gr, Figs. 22 to 24, is the horizontal lever l which forms part of thecartridge-feed mechanism. It is provided with a vertical pivotpin g,which loosely fits a hole formed for its reception in the gun-frame at apoint forward of the feed-box J. Near the opposite end of the saidfeed-lever and on the upper side thereof is a stud g', which engageswith an inclined or cam groove h, formed in the under side of therectilinear sliding plate II, Figs. 28 and 29, which is superimposedabove the said feed-lever, as best seen in Fig. 2. This plate has adepending arm 7L', which engages with a socket or recess 030 in theforward part c of the breech -bloclL As the breech-block reciprocates itimparts longitudinal movement to the said plate, which slides in groovesas a8 in the side plates A. By the action of the inclined groove h onthe stud g the feed-lever G is caused to oscillate and give astep-by-step feed movement to the cartridge-belt by a pawl G. Heretoforedifficulty has been experienced by reason of the slipping of thefeed-pawl from engagement with the cartridges or projections of the beltduring the feeding movement of the pawl. In order to overcome thisdifficulty, I construct the said pawl of a thin steel strip, so as IOOIIO

to be resilient, and pivotally connect it at one end to the feed-leverby a screw-pin g2. Its opposite end is-cnrved and terminates in abeveled lnose or pawl proper, g3, having an upward projection or headg1, that is adapted to lie in a slot g5 in the free end of thefeedlever. The said spring-pawl is also provided with a lateralextension g, that projects through a lateral opening g7 in the frontside wall of said slot g5.

When the said feed-lever performs an outward stroke in the direcas seenin Fig. 2G, and brings the projection g4 into the slot g5, so that thefeed-lever and the pawl move outward together. Then when the said noseg3 reaches the opposite side of the cartridge the flexibility of thesaid springstrip causes the nose to descend behind the cartridge, Fig.27. Then on the inward or return stroke of the feed-lever the lattermoves a short distance without the pawl, because the latter is engagingwith a cartridge,as aforesaid, and the projection or head g4 of the pawlenters the lateral opening Q7 until stopped by the shoulder g8, withwhich s-uch opening is provided. (See Fig. 27.) Both the feedlever andthe pawl then move together, the said pawl being at such timeetfectually prevented from rising by its head g4 lying below themarginal portion Q9 of the slot g5. At

` the next outward stroke of the feed-lever the Ahead g'l will readilyescape from the lateral opening Q7 by the lateral movement of the pawlabout its pivot g2 when the nose g3 meets the next cartridge orprojection of the belt. The movement of the pawl in this direction islimited by the inner wall gw ofthe said slot g5, Fig. 26. The aforesaidlateral projection gG is made long enough to permit of the feedleverbeing thereby shifted by the gunners fingers when desired.

gu is a lateral projection on the feed-lever, which projection acts toguide the rims or flanges of the cartridges into proper position forengagement with the cartridge-carrier as the belt is fed step by stepthrough the feedbox. The aforesaid sliding plate H has a'depression h2in order to permit the cartridgecarrier to complete its upward movementwithout impediment.

I is the crank-handle by which the mechanism can be operated by hand.(See Figs. l and 8.) It oscillates on a stud a9, projecting from theside plate A, and is connected by a bar t' to a pin i', which is capableof sliding in a long slot d10 in the said side plate A. The inner end ofthis pin lies in front of a shoulder d10, Figs. 8 and 9, formed on theportion ZS of the action-bar D, but is not connected thereto. lVhen thehandle is actuated in the direction of thearrow in Fig. l, this pinbears against the said shoulder and draws back the action-bar againstthe resistance of the aforesaid spring DT, thereby operating the breechmechanism. When, however, the gun is working automatically, theaction-bar D moves rearwardly without shifting the said pin by reason ofthe latters aforesaid loose connection therewith. Therefore when the gunis iirin g the crank-handle I remains stationary.

XVhen it is desired to remove the breechblock, the hinged end piece A2is turned down about its pivot, so as to uncover the rear end of thegun-casing. The crank-handle I is then turned in the direction ofthearrow in Fig. l as far as it will go, whereby the breechblock will bealmost completely withdrawn from the rear end of the frame. Then by aslight upward movement given to the breechblock by pulling it with thehand it will readily become entirely detached from the gun. I-n order topermit of this upward movement of the breech-block, the action-bar iscutaway or grooved at d, (see Fig. 9,) such grooved portion at this timeoccupying a position beyond the gun-framing, owing to the actionbarbeing fully retracted.

In cases where a water-jacket is not employed I prefer to construct thebarrel of rectangular shape in cross-section, as shown in Figs. 33 to36, and to form it with numerous transverse channels b b, through whichcurrents of air can flow and cool the barrel. The said barrel may alsobe formed with external grooves b b at the parts between the holes, soas to increase the external surface exposed toA the atmosphere.Additional transverse channels b2 b2 of less diameter than the channelsb b may also be formed in the metal between the last-mentioned channelsb,as shown at Figs. 35 and 36.

l. In an automatic gun, the combination of a reciprocating breech-block,a rear portion or strut pivoted thereto, an abutment with which saidstrut engages when the breechblock is in closing position, automaticmeans operated by the discharge of the gun for reciprocating thebreech-block and for moving the said strut, a sear arranged to maintainthe iiringpin cocked when the breech is closed, and means independent ofthe said automatic operating means for operating the sear and ring thegun, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic gun, the combination of a reciprocating breech-block,a rear portion or strut pivoted thereto, an abutment with which saidstrut engages when the breechblock is in closing position, an action-bararranged to reciprocate the breech-block, and

to operate the said strut, a firing-pin whichis retracted when thebreech-block is moved to the open position, a sear which holds thefiring-pin in such retracted position until the breech-block iscompletely closed, and a searoperating mechanism independent of theaction of the action-bar, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a reciprocating breech-block, a rear portion orstrut pivoted thereto, an abutment with which saidstrut engages when thebreech-block is in closing position, a firing-pin, movable relative tothe breech-block, an action-bar arranged to reciprocate thebreech-block, to operate the said strut, and to retract the tiring-pinwhen the breech-block is moved to the open position, a spring arrangedto move the action-bar in one direction to effect the closing of thebreech, a

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spring, independent of the action-bar spring for projecting forward thefiring-pin, a sear which holds the firing-pin retracted until the breechis completely closed, and a Sear-opererating mechanism which isindependent of the action-bar, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a reciprocating breech-block, a firing-pin mountedtherein and adapted to be reciprocated to a limited extent independentof the breech-block, a reciprocatin g action-bar adapted to operate thebreech-block, and to retract the liring-pin, tiring and safety searsadapted to engage directly with the firing-pin to hold it in retractedor cocked position, the safety-scar being operated by the action-barwhen it comes to position to move the breech-block into com pleteclosing position, and a trigger-operated device for the firing-Sear,substantially as set forth.

5. In a gun, the combination of a reciprocating breech-block, a strutpivoted thereto and arranged to be substantially in line therewith, boththe said parts being recessed or hollow, the tiring-pin mounted in therecess of the breech-block proper, and arranged to reciprocate to alimited extent therein, a spring for operating the firing-pin mounted inthe recess of the said strut, and means for reciprocating thebreech-block and for operating the iiring-pin against the action of thespring, substantially as set forth.

6. In an automatic gun, the combination of the rear casing provided witha movable rear end piece to permit of the opening of the casing, abreech-block device formed of two parts pivotally united, an action-baradapted to be manualljT operated and provided with an operatingprojection for engaging with one of the parts 0f the breech-blockdevice, and guides on the casing with which the breechblock deviceengages, arranged both to direct the movements of the latter, and alsoto hold it in engagement with the operating projection of theaction-bar, the casing being unobstructed in rear of the breech-blockdevice, whereby when the casingis opened at the rear the breech-blockdevice may be moved rearward and one part thereof disengaged from thesaid guides, thus allowing it to turn on its pivot and disengage theoperating projection of the action-bar, whereby the breechblock devicemay be freely withdrawn from the casing Without disturbing theaction-bar, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a reciprocating breech-block, a slidingcartridge-carrier, a lifting-lever for the cartridge-carrier whichoperates the same as the breech-block is reciprocated, a strut pivotedto the breechblock, and provided with inclined projections, a fixedabutment with which said strut engages when the breech is closed, asliding action-bar provided with a rib adapted to act on the saidinclined projections of the strut as the bar reciprocates, and adaptedalso to operate the lifting-lever of the cartridge-carrier, and meansfor reciprocating the actionbar, the disposition of the working inclinedprojections on the strut and of the rib of the action-bar, beingsubstantially such as described, whereby the complete upward movement ofthe strut to finally close the breech takes place immediately after theaction-bar has operated the lifting-lever to elevate thecartridge-carrier to its highest position, substantially as set forth.

8. In an automatic gun, the combination with the reciprocatingbreech-block, the sliding cartridge-carrier, the pivotcd strut, thefixed abutments, the action-bar and means for operating the same, of alifting-leverpivotally mounted on a transverse pin carried by saidbreech-block and provided with a curved nose to engage with a slot inthe carrier, a lateral pin on such lifting-lever to engage with acam-path formed in one of the side plates of the gun-casing, a heel nearthe pivot of said lifting-lever, and a shoulder on the action-baradapted to act upon said heel and thereby elevate the carrier just priorto the said action-bar completing its forward movement, substantially asdescribed and for the purpose speciiied.

9. In an automatic gun, the combination with a reciprocatingbreech-block having a sliding cartridge-carrier and a sliding actionbarfor operating said breech-block, of a spring-controlled firing-pinlocated within the breech-block and adapted to be cocked by theaction-bar, a pivotal and detachable head to said firing-pin, atransverse cylindrical rear end or T-piece on said head to permit of itsbeing inserted into or withdrawn from a corresponding recess in the bodyof the firing-pin by a lateral movement, and a shoulder at the lowerpart or margin of said recess to support the head in an approximatelyhorizontal position, the upper part or margin of said recess being freeto permit the head to shift upwardly about its cylindrical end orT-piece substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

10. In an automatic gun, the combination with a reciprocatingbreech-block and the sliding action-bar for operating the same, of aspring-controlled firing-pin adapted to be cocked by the saidaction-bar, a spring-controlled sear for engaging with said firing-pinwhen it is cocked, and a sliding trigger-bar located below theaction-bar and having a cavity or recess in it, a hinged end cover forthe casing of the gun, and a cam-piece near the pivot of said end coveradapted to engage with the cavity or recess in the said triggerbar andto lock the same, when said end cover is turned downward about its pivotto expose the breech mechanism substantially as described.

1l. In an automatic gun, the combination with a reciprocatingbreech-block, the slidin g cartridge-carrier and the lifting-lever foractuatin g the latter, of a sliding action-bar having an elongatedopening or slot therein and IOO IIO

provided with means for acting on said lifting-lever to cause it toelevate the carrier as the said bar performs its forward movement, and ablock at the forward end of said actionbar, such block having adownwardly -inclined surface facing the slot in the actionbar, so thatas the action-bar performs its rearward movement and an emptycartridgecase is falling through the slot, the said block will preventthe cartridge-case from getting in front of the action-bar and the saidincline will direct it in a downward direction substantially asdescribed and for the purpose specified.

12. An automatic gun, provided with a re ciprocating breech-block and asliding actionbar for operating the same, a lateral shoulder on theforward end of the action-bar, a pin projecting through a longitudinalslot in one of the side plates ofthe gun-casing and adapted to lie infront of and in engagement with said shoulder, without however beingconnected therewith, so that the action-bar when automatically operatedwill slide without acting on the pin, an external crank-handle mountedon a stud on the aforesaid side plate, and a link coupling the saidhandle with the said pin whereby the action-bar can be operated by handsubstantially as dcscribed.

1 3. In an automatic gun provided with a non-recoiling barrel, thecombination with a reciprocating breech-block and a sliding action-barfor operating the same, of a rod connecting the said action-bar with apiston, a gas-cylinder within which the piston works, a chambersurrounding the muzzle of the barrel and communicating with the saidgascylindcr and also provided with an aperture at its front throughwhich the projectile passes as it is discharged from the barrel, andmeans for returning said piston to its normal position each time it hasbeen actuated by the gases of discharge escaping from the muzzlesubstantially as described.

14. In an automatic gun provided with a non-recoiling barrel, thecombination with a reciprocating breech-block and a sliding action-barfor operating it, of a rod connecting the said action-bar with a piston,a gas-cylinder located below the barrel at the muzzle thereof and withinwhich the said piston works, a chamber surrounding the muzzle andcommunicating with the said gas-cylinder at a point in front of thepiston, a screw-plug in the front of said chamber provided with alongitudinal aperture for the projectile to pass through as it isdischarged from the barrel, a spiral spring surrounding said rod, and acasing forming part of the gas-cylinder and inclosing the said rod andspring, suitable passages being formed in the wall of the cas- -ing forthe escape of the gases and for the entrance of air, substantially asdescribed and for the purposes specified.

l5. In an automatic gun, the combination with a reciprocatingbreech-block and means for operatin g it at each discharge of the gun,ofa sliding cam-plate, a pivoted cartridge-feed lever furnished with aprojection to engage with said sliding cam-plate., and means forconnecting said plate with said breech-block so that the plate receivesrectilinear motion therefrom as the latter reciprocates and thefeed-lever oscillates about its pivot substantially as described.

16. In an automatic gun, the combination with a reciprocatingbreech-block and means for operating it at each discharge of the gun, ofa pivoted cartridge-feed lever, means for connecting said lever with thebreech mechanism so that it will be oscillated during the breeeh-blocksreciprocation, a spring-pawl carried by the said cartridge-feed leverand means for positively retaining such pawl in engagement with thecartridge-belt during each feeding-stroke of the said leversubstantially as described and for the purpose specified.

17. In an automatic gun, the combination with a reciprocatingbreech-block and means for operating it at each discharge of the gun, ofa pivoted cartridge-feed lever, means for connecting said lever providedin its free end with a slot with the breech-block so that it will beoscillated during the locks reciprocation, a spring-pawl connected tosaid feedlever by a pivot-pin to permit of its performing a shortindependent movement in a plane parallel with the plane of movement ofthe feed-lever, and a head on the pawl adapted to engage with the slotin the free end of the feedlever when the latter performs an outwardstroke so as to render the pawl free to rise, and adapted to engage witha lateral aperture in the outer wall of the aforesaid slot when saidfeed-lever performs its inward stroke so as to restrain said pawl fromrising substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

1S. In an automatic gun, the combination with a reciprocatingbreech-block and means for operating it at each discharge of the gun, ofa pivoted cartridge-feed lever, means for connecting said lever providedin its free end with a slot with the breech-block so that it willoscillate during the breech-blocks reciprocation7 a spring-pawlconnected to said feed-lever by a pivot-pin to permit of its performinga short independent movement in a plane parallel with that of themovement of the feed-lever, a head on the pawl adapted to engage withthe slot in the free end of the feed-lever and with a lateral aperturein the outer wall of the said slot, upon the return and operativemovements, respectively, of the feed-lever, a lateral projection on thepawl, which projection extends through the aforesaid lateral apertureand is capable of being operated by the iingers of the gunner, and meansfor limiting the amount of the aforesaid independent movement of thepawl, substantially as described.

19. In an automatic gun, the combination IOO IIO

IZO

with av reciprocating breech-block and means for operating itat eachdischarge of the gun, of a sliding plate having acain slot or groovetherein, a feed-lever located below said plate and furnished with avertical pivot-pin entering a vertical hole for its reception in thegun-frame at a point forward of the cartridgefeed box, a stud on saidfeed-lever engaging with the said cam slot or groove in the slidingplate, and a depending arm on said plate engaging with a recess in thebreech-block so that as the latter reeiprocates the said plate islikewise reciprocated and oscillatory movement thereby imparted to thefeed-lever, substantially as described.

20. In an automatic gun, the combination with a reciprocatingbreech-block having a sliding cartridge-carrier and the oscillatory'feed-lever, the spring-pawl and the means for oscillating saidfeed-lever, of a lateral pro-v jection on said feed-lever which acts toguide the rim of the cartridges into proper position for engagementwiththe cartridge-carrier substantially as described.

2l. In an automatic gun, the combination with a reciprocatingbreech-block operated by a sliding actio'n-barconnected with aspringcontrolled piston Working in a gas-chamber, of a non-recoilingbarrel of rectangular crosssection formed with a'series of transversepassages in the walls thereof to enable currents of air to flow throughsaid passages and cool the barrel without a water-jacket substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in presence of twosubscribing witnesses, this 9th day of September, 1898.

LOUIS SILVERMAN.

Vitnesses:

F. MCLELLAN, G. F. WARREN.

